The slow southward flooding of Pakistan over the past four weeks in August is considered to be a an event sparked by climate change factors.
The Tibetan Plateau is sometimes referred to as the Third Pole because of it's snow and ice concentrations. The 46,000 glaciers among the surrounding systems of mountains are, collectively, equal to the third largest ice mass on the planet. (1) The future state of resilience of this fresh water bank will affect dramatically the billions of people who live down-rivers in all directions.
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| Regional political extent of the "Third Pole"
Unfortunately, the snow packs of the Tibetan Plateau have, of late, been receding at the rate of 7% per year. Side effects include desertification and release of gases as permafrost melts. The melting glaciers have created many large high-elevation lakes which may breach their banks in the future and create massive flooding.
As snow and ice diminish, less melt water will mean a restricted summer flow into all the Asian rivers fed by the Plateau. Without this seasonal assist to the rivers, drinking and irrigating water will decline during typical dry seasons. Effects on mid to lower sections of the rivers will be disastrous in years to come.
Why more flooding now?
The Plateau's ice has shrunk and the resultant drier region warms more and invites more moist oceanic air flow during the monsoons. Hence, much more rain and flooding. Over the past month, the flooding has slowly filled watersheds downstream on the Indus River to extremes in Pakistan. It has displaced millions of people, killing thousands and ruining an incredible amount of agricultural land. As of today the flood surge has begun to release itself from the Indus River into the Arabian Sea. The water may be running its course, but the devastation remains. Just google the images. Reprehensively, this national and regional event is not getting the media reporting nor the international relief response it is due. Have we simply had enough of international disasters for the year? Please consider sending US dollars to UNICEF. They will go directly to children and families, as always. This is the easiest way to begin redistributing global wealth. [BBC article on children 8/31] |
